Ontario Highway 802
 Highway 802 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Highway 802Highway 11concurrency | |||||||
| Route information | |||||||
| Maintained byMinistry of Transportation of Ontario | |||||||
| Length | 13.7 km[2](8.5 mi) | ||||||
| Existed | April19, 1962[1]–present | ||||||
| Major junctions | |||||||
| South end | Burchell Lake | ||||||
 Highway 11 | |||||||
| North end | Kashabowierailway crossing | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
| Country | Canada | ||||||
| Province | Ontario | ||||||
| Districts | Thunder Bay | ||||||
| Municipalities | Unorganized Thunder Bay District | ||||||
| Villages | Kashabowie | ||||||
| Highway system | |||||||
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Tertiary Highway 802,commonly referred to asHighway 802,is aprovincially maintained tertiary roadin theCanadianprovince ofOntario,located inThunder Bay District.The 13.7-kilometre (8.5 mi) route branches both north and south fromHighway 11to connect with the community ofKashabowieand the ghost town ofBurchell Lake,respectively. The highway was established in 1962 at the peak of operations of the Burchell Lake mine. Although the mine and town were subsequently abandoned in 1966, the highway remains under provincial jurisdiction. The section that travelsconcurrentlywith Highway11 forms part of theTrans-Canada Highway.
Route description
[edit]Highway 802 is a 13.7 km (8.5 mi) route that branches both north and south from Highway11 approximately 100 km (60 mi) west ofThunder Bay.The north branch travels 1.0 km (0.62 mi) to the community of Kashabowie, ending at a crossing of theCanadian National Railway(CNR). The south branch begins 1.8 km (1.1 mi) to the west of the north branch, and travels 10.9 km (6.8 mi) to the ghost town of Burchell Lake, ending at a locked gate.[2][3] Highway11, which forms part of the Trans-Canada Highway, connects the two branches; it is listed as a concurrency with Highway802.[2] The north branch is also known as Kashabowie Road, while the south branch is known as Burchell Lake Road.[4]
While theMinistry of Transportationis responsible for maintaining Highway802, the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act stipulates that this "does not include the clearing or removal of snow therefrom or the application of chemicals or abrasives to the icy surfaces thereof." Furthermore, the Ministry is "not liable for any damage sustained... using a tertiary road."[5] Traffic levels along the route are low, with approximately 40vehicles travelling the north branch and 30vehicles travelling the south branchon an average dayin 2016.[2] The speed limit along the north branch is 50 km/h (30 mph), while along the south branch it is 80 km/h (50 mph), as of 2022.[6]
History
[edit]Highway802 follows a road that was originally built in 1901 to link the mineral exploration site at Burchell Lake with the train station at Kashabowie, along the newly-opened CNR (then theCanadian Northern Railway) tracks. The site, where copper was discovered by three prospectors in 1876, quickly grew following the opening of the new transportation link. Fluctuations in the price of copper would result in the closure of the Tip Top Mine followingWorld War I.Interest in the site was renewed in the 1950s, and a town site constructed in 1956.[3]The new mine began full operations extracting copper and gold in 1960, with Burchell Lake boasting a population of almost 400 at its peak.[7]
The Department of Highways, predecessor to the modernMinistry of Transportation,having recently opened up Highway11 toAtikokan,took over the access road to the mine and to Kashabowie on April19, 1962, and designated on May24.[1] However, operations at the mine were short-lived, and it closed permanently on August5, 1966.[3]Despite this, the southern branch of the highway has remained under provincial jurisdiction.[2]
Major intersections
[edit]The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 802, as noted by theMinistry of Transportation of Ontario.[2]The entire route is located inThunder Bay District.[4]
| Location | km[2] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burchell Lake | 0.0 | 0.0 | Highway ends at fence blocking entrance to former mine and ghost town[3] | ||
| Thunder Bay District | 10.9 | 6.8 | Highway 11west –Rainy River,Fort Frances | Beginning of Highway 11 concurrency[2] | |
| 12.7 | 7.9 | Highway 11east –Thunder Bay | End of Highway 11 concurrency[2] | ||
| Kashabowie | 13.7 | 8.5 | Highway ends atCNrailway crossing[2] | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
[edit]- ^abOntario Department of Highways (March 31, 1963). "Appendix No.3A - Schedule of Designation and Re-Designations of Sections of the King's Highway, Secondary Highway and Tertiary Road Systems for the Fiscal Year, Appendix No.3C - Schedule of Existing Roads Assumed as Portions of the King's Highway, Secondary Highway and Tertiary Road Systems for the Fiscal Year".Annual Report(Report). pp. 244, 247.RetrievedFebruary 9,2021.
- ^abcdefghiMinistry of Transportation of Ontario(2016)."Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts".RetrievedJanuary 1,2021.
- ^abcdBrown, Ron (2007). "Burchell Lake".Ontario's Ghost Town Heritage.Boston Mills Press. pp. 140–141.ISBN978-1-55046-467-2.
- ^abOntario Back Road Atlas(Map). Cartography byMapArt.Peter Heiler. 2010. p. 107. § H7.ISBN978-1-55198-226-7.
- ^"Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, Part IV - Tertiary Roads".Government of Ontario. July 21, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 23,2021.
- ^Ministry of Transportation of OntarioGeomatics Office; Land Information Ontario (October 25, 2022)."Ontario Road Network - MTO Jurisdiction".ArcGIS.com.RetrievedNovember 18,2022.
- ^"Fishing Hole Maps - Burchell Lake".Northern Wilds Magazine.February 2020.RetrievedFebruary 9,2021.
